Homework Guidance

Written homework will be sent for all age groups on the same day of the week throughout school -Thursday – to be returned to school on Tuesday (allowing families to choose whether their child completes their homework on a week night or weekend)

A spelling activity will be sent home each week. Please ensure the spelling file is returned every Friday. A selection of up to 30 words will be sent home to be learned over a period of 3 weeks. The date of the test will be on the sheet

Multiplication tables need to be practised for a weekly test (initially Y3 – Y6, but Year 2 will begin learning multiplication tables during the course of the year) The day of the test will be advised by the class teacher

Research for topic work will be sent as appropriate replacing an English or Maths task

There will be an explanatory sheet accompanying the written homework with a space for parents’ comments and signature. The teachers would value parents letting them know whether their child has completed the work with help or unaided and any other relevant comments

If homework is not returned on a Tuesday it will not be marked as the teachers have allocated Tuesday as marking time and Wednesday to prepare the next task

The following table gives a guide as to the time allocation for the written homework. This excludes daily reading and the learning of spellings and tables

Age Group

Subject

Time Allocation Guideline

F2

Home/School Learning Journey

20 minutes

Year 1

English, Maths or Topic

20 - 30 minutes

Year 2

English, Maths or Topic

30 minutes

Year 3

English, Maths or Topic

30- 40 minutes

Year 4

English and Maths or Topic

45 minutes

Year 5

English and Maths or Topic

Up to an hour

Year 6

English and Maths or Topic

1 – 1½ hours

Spelling Guidance for Parents

Background and research

Weekly testing of spellings may give short term gains (children getting 10/10 each week) but it is not conducive to committing the word to long term memory and transferring into their independent writing

Time within school is better spent on teaching spelling patterns and irregularities rather than administering weekly spelling tests and giving out new lists

Short and regular spelling sessions -4 times per week in school- will have more impact than one longer session as regular practise of spelling patterns is necessary over a period of time both in school and at home. For those children where spelling comes naturally spelling sessions will focus on enhancing and extending vocabulary

Tests

We made the decision to only test spellings every two to three weeks because we expect the spelling list to be learned and practised over that period of time, embedding the learning into long-term memory. It is very important that children are practising their spellings daily throughout each two/three week period in preparation for their test, as we hope that the children will retain these spellings not only until the test but for life. Please limit the number of words to learn per night (approx 3 or 4). It is not beneficial in the long term to try and learn the whole lot the night before.

The children will get lots of praise for doing well in the test, however, the biggest celebration will be when we see the word spelt correctly in their written work.

Activities

In order for your child to retain spelling patterns, it is paramount that we have your support in helping him/her to gain confidence and success in spellings. We hope that the spelling activities we send home are varied and fun for children to practise their spellings. We understand that your child may find some of the activities more appealing or helpful than others. Please feel free to use the activity supplied, to revert to a previous spelling activity or to use any other method that you have found effective and suits your child.